The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

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“Like as not we got to be together a blamed long time on this h-yer raft,
Bilgewater, and so what’s the use o’ your bein’ sour? It ’ll only make
things oncomfortable. It ain’t my fault I warn’t born a duke, it ain’t your
fault you warn’t born a king—so what’s the use to worry? Make the best o’
things the way you find ’em, says I—that’s my motto. This ain’t no bad thing
that we’ve struck here—plenty grub and an easy life—come, give us your hand,
duke, and le’s all be friends.”

“More likely than not, we’ll be together for a long time on this raft,
Bilgewater. What’s the use in your being so sour? It’ll only make things
uncomfortable. It isn’t my fault I wasn’t born a duke, and it isn’t your
fault that you weren’t born a king—so why worry about it? My motto is: Take
the best of things, no matter how you find them. We’re not in a bad
situation here. We’ve got plenty of food, and it’s a pretty easy life. Give
me your hand, duke, and let’s all be friends.”

The duke done it, and Jim and me was pretty glad to see it. It took away
all the uncomfortableness and we felt mighty good over it, because it would
a been a miserable business to have any unfriendliness on the raft; for what
you want, above all things, on a raft, is for everybody to be satisfied, and
feel right and kind towards the others.

Jim and I were pretty glad to see that the duke took his hand, because it
took away all the awkwardness. We felt pretty good about it, because it
would have been miserable to have unfriendliness on the raft. More than
anything else, you want everyone on a raft to be satisfied and to feel good
about everyone else.

It didn’t take me long to make up my mind that these liars warn’t no kings
nor dukes at all, but just low-down humbugs and frauds. But I never said
nothing, never let on; kept it to myself; it’s the best way; then you don’t
have no quarrels, and don’t get into no trouble. If they wanted us to call
them kings and dukes, I hadn’t no objections, ’long as it would keep peace
in the family; and it warn’t no use to tell Jim, so I didn’t tell him. If I
never learnt nothing else out of pap, I learnt that the best way to get
along with his kind of people is to let them have their own way.

It didn’t take me long to figure out that these liars weren’t kings or
dukes at all, but only low down con artists and frauds. But I didn’t say
anything; I never let on that I knew. I just kept it to myself. That’s the
best way, you see, when there aren’t any fights and you don’t get into any
trouble. If they wanted us to call them kings and dukes, I wouldn’t object
as long as they didn’t cause any trouble on the raft. And it wasn’t any use
to tell Jim, so I didn’t. If I learned anything from pap, it was that the
best way to get along with people like them is to let them have their
way.